Police Capt. Jack Harrington, working a nearby construction detail, first noticed the bird frozen to the surface of the pond. When Officer Gervais arrived, the two policemen walked onto the ice and used a multi-tool to chip away ice and free the bird.

Animal control personnel drove the swan to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton. A Cummings spokeswoman said the animal did not survive.